This invention relates to the art of fire retardant fabric constructions, and more particularly to an improved fire retardant fabric construction, providing a fabric having a pile surface providing desired hand and dyeability, along with desired flexibility and breathability implementing use of the fabric in upholstery applications.
The general flammability of textile fabrics, seriously limits the utilization of these fabrics in situations where fire hazards may exist. A variety of attempts have been made over the years to reduce the flammability of various textile fabrics, and under the Flammable Fabrics Act, standards have been established for determining flammability of the fabric.
In the current state of the art, attempts have been made to render textile fabrics fireproof by: (1) applying a variety of fire retardant finishes, or (2) constructing the fabric of inherently flame retardant fibers such as asbestos, fiberglass, and a variety of synthetics.
The fire retardant finishes which have been evolved for use on fabrics generally involve the impregnation of the fibers with fire retardant chemicals and reactants followed by drying. It is found, however, that most of these finishes are removed from the fabric during washing or dry-cleaning and often the finish interacts with normal surface accumulations on the fabric to deteriorate the fabric and at times increase its flammability.
In utilizing inherently flameproof fibers for constructing fabrics, a variety of problems arise. Thus, in forming the fabric of asbestos, the physical and esthetic characteristics of asbestos due to the relatively short staple length and frangibility of the asbestos fibers make them unsuitable for use in upholstery or other furnishing applications. Further, recent findings linking asbestos to cancer have made the use of asbestos undesirable.
Obtaining a desired hand, and dyeing of the synthetics also present problems. In using the flame retardant synthetics, it is found that though these synthetics do not burn, they decompose in the presence of a flame or burning ash, some of them giving off toxic funes, and all of them physically deteriorating at temperatures such as might be encountered in the presence of a fire, so that when used in upholstery, a dropped cigarette, though not burning the fabric, will destroy the fabric, exposing the upholstery padding which is then subject to ignition.
Fiberglass, which has been in use since the middle 1930's, though suitable for draperies and curtains, is relatively stiff, preventing desired draping to conform to the contours of upholstered pieces, and is difficult and expensive to dye, requiring the use of special pigment bonding resins, and further the allergic reaction of many individuals to the fiberglass fibers prevents use of fiberglass as a seating surface.
Applicant, in his prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,522, has discovered a fabric construction implementing the utilization of fiberglass as a base fabric, treated to provide desired hand and dyeability while retaining the fire retardant benefits of fiberglass. This is done in accordance with applicant's prior patent by applying flock fibers with one end adhered to said base fabric, utilizing a heat responsive adhesive coating to adhere the flock fibers to the fiberglass base fabric, with the adhesive generating oxygen quenching gas in the presence of heat.
Though the fabric construction provided by applicant's prior patent provides the flame retardant properties of fiberglass, while eliminating the undesired hand and lack of dyeability of fiberglass, it has been found that the adhesive employed in securing the flock fibers to the glass surfaces substantially eliminates any porosity in the fiberglass fabric, so that when the fabric of this prior patent is employed as a seating surface on an upholstered piece, the lack of breathability makes the surface uncomfortable.